FAQs & Resources

Common Questions

1. How do I…?

   Stop the node	systemctl stop exocore
   Start the node	systemctl start exocore
   Restart the node	systemctl restart exocore
   Find my exo1... (account) address	exocored --home $HOMEDIR keys show -a $ACCOUNT_KEY_NAME
   Get current height	exocored query block | jq .block.header.height
   Check sync status	exocored status | jq
   Get current validator set	exocored query tendermint-validator-set
   Get own validator address	exocored --home $HOMEDIR tendermint show-address
   Convert address formats	exocored debug addr <VALUE>
   Get bytes32 val pub key	exocored --home $HOMEDIR --output json keys consensus-pubkey-to-bytes | jq -r .bytes32
   Get bytes32 val pub key (another method)	exocored debug pubkey $(exocored --home $HOMEDIR tendermint show-validator)
   Get JSON val pub key	exocored --home $HOMEDIR tendermint show-validator
   Check node logs	journalctl -u exocore -f
   Get the number of peers	curl -s http://localhost:26657/net_info
   Check transaction status	exocored query tx <hash>
   Find my consensus address	exocored --home $HOMEDIR tendermint show-address
   Find my P2P ID	exocored --home $HOMEDIR tendermint show-node-id

   (assuming the node port hasn't changed; if it has, it may be supplied with --node)

2. Why are there so many addresses / mnemonics?

   Exocore uses collateral from multiple blockchains to operate its Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism. This means that participants might need several different addresses to manage their assets across these blockchains.

   Additionally, the validator private key has its own separate mnemonic to enhance security and facilitate key management.

   Essentially, three keys are involved in the management of your node:

   1. Account Key

      Used for managing assets.

   2. Consensus Key

      Used for signing blocks.

   3. Ethereum Key

      Used for managing staked assets on Ethereum.

3. Why do I need to associate my staker address to my validator address?

   Validators need a minimum self delegation to be considered for inclusion in the active validator set. Since your address on the asset chain (Ethereum) is different from your address on Exocore, you need to associate them.

4. What is the Bootstrap process?

   The Bootstrap process is the method by which Exocore launches its network with a fully open, decentralized validator set. Unlike other networks that begin with a predefined subset of stakeholders as initial token holders (and hence validators), Exocore allows anyone to become a validator during the network launch phase, ensuring greater decentralization from the outset.

5. How do I recover a lost validator key?

   Unfortunately, if you lose your validator key and don’t have a backup, it cannot be recovered. However, we do support replacing it with another key. See exocored tx operator set-cons-key --help.

6. What happens if my node goes offline?

   Prolonged downtime leads to slashing and being kicked out from the validator set.

7. How do I backup my node?

   Backup $HOMEDIR, excluding the data folder (which can only be backed up if the node is offline). Alternatively, use snapshot-based backups like LVM or ZFS.

8. I started my node and I got a panic: staking param <xxxx> not found in assets module. What should I do?

   This error occurs when you run exocored start before downloading the genesis file. To fix this, stop the node (if not already stopped), download the correct genesis file, run rm -rf $HOMEDIR/data/*.db $HOMEDIR/data/snapshots and restart the node.

9. In the beginning, the node is unable to find peers. The logs indicate Connection is closed @ recvRoutine (likely by the other side) and Stopping peer for error with respect to the seed nodes. Is this a problem?

   As long as your seed node IP and port are configured correctly, the situation will normalize in less than a minute. This is because the seed node responds with a list of peers and drops the connection immediately, as a way to avoid DoS attacks. The node then tries to connect to the peers so obtained within 30 seconds of this response.

Common Issues & Solutions

• Node Fails to Start

  • Issue: The node fails to start or crashes immediately.

  • Solution: Check the logs with journalctl -u exocore -f for specific error messages. Ensure that all dependencies are installed and that your configuration files are correctly set up.

• Syncing Takes Too Long

  • Issue: The node is taking an extended time to sync with the network.

  • Solution: Verify that your internet connection is stable, check your firewall, and if the node is connected to a sufficient number of peers. You can check the number of peers using curl -s http://localhost:26657/net_info | jq -r .result.n_peers

• Validator Missing Blocks

  • Issue: Your validator is missing blocks, leading to reduced rewards.

  • Solution: Ensure that your node is online and has adequate system resources (CPU, RAM). Review your system’s logs for any signs of network or resource issues that could cause missed blocks.

• Node Out of Sync

  • Issue: The node falls out of sync with the network.

  • Solution: Restart the node using systemctl restart exocore. Check the sync status with exocored status | jq .SyncInfo.catching_up. If the issue persists, consider resetting the data and resyncing from scratch.

Troubleshooting Tips

• Check Logs: Always start troubleshooting by checking the logs. Use journalctl -u exocore -f for real-time logs and review any error messages or warnings.

• Network Configuration: Ensure that your network configuration allows for sufficient peer connections. You may need to adjust firewall settings or increase the maximum number of open files with ulimit if you encounter connection issues.

• Resource Monitoring: Monitor system resources like CPU, memory, and disk I/O to ensure your node has enough capacity to perform efficiently. Tools like htop, iotop, and df can be helpful.

• Regular Updates: Keep your node software up to date to ensure compatibility with the network and to benefit from performance improvements and security patches.

• Backup Configurations: Regularly backup your configuration files and private keys. This ensures that you can recover quickly in case of hardware failure or other issues.

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